"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation.

You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

Dr. Adrian Rogers 1931-2005

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

isn't my strongest character trait. Our journey to the farm is an amazing journey if I am one to say so. I doubt I would have said anything like this in 2005. I am now able to pause a bit and look back over the years and smile. Bill and I did not give up when adversity struck. Bill and I did not battle each other when adversity struck. Bill and I did not battle the children when adversity struck. Instead we dug in deeper, not with our own strengths and abilities but into the Lord. You see, Bill's accident humbled us. If a 38 year old man in his prime can have a life changing accident well, then the awareness of who is in control comes to the surface.

We recognized our own mortality and for me that is shocking because I grew up without my dad and thought I knew quite well that life was unpredictable.

I became complacent in my comfort. I think Bill did too. We were doing everything we thought we should to be obedient in our faith. We were in love with each other as sappy and mushy as we are today. We were involved with our cuties and loved them and worked hard to train them up in the ways of the Lord. BUT we slacked in areas that we shouldn't have. I am sure many readers appreciate this.

Since the accident, I have become strong. Oh I may not look it, but I have wrangled four horned rams, butchered this, that, and the other, and even shot a rabbit in my freshly planted back yard...of course I used a BB gun as that was nearby and I did not wish to lose my beautiful oasis in the desert. I have come to terms with my life and the fact that time is marching on, so I have allowed my hair to gray and have enjoyed being me. I no longer worry about having enough to feed the kids, or even what would we do if something catastrophic would happen. You see, I became ever so strong over the course of my journey in understanding that NO MATTER what, I know my final destination. Time is eternal. My journey on earth is not. I look forward to the promises made in the Bible and less about what will happen if the economy fails, or if I am forced to be TSA groped while I travel by plane*.

I no longer think about what will happen. I can endure here thanks to a life lesson that Bill and I were graciously granted. Through Bill's accident we have learned a good deal. I can say that buying used clothing isn't so bad. I may not have confessed this on the blog during the hardest of times but I truly appreciate the waste of food in America. I bought the waste from the produce section at our local grocery. At first, I did so as a supplement for the animals. It was a dollar for a box that weighed about 40-50 lbs. Then it went up to 3 dollars and I still bought it. You see, much of what was being tossed out was still edible. I canned much of what was thought to be trash. We ate anything that was good, and the worst of the worst went to the animals.

I didn't make dog food to have organically healthy dogs. Nope. I made dog food because it was less costly than buying dog food. This is the same for making all of my toiletries. The added bonus is that I discovered how very healthy it is to make your own products and will not ever be able to wrap my head around all the chemicals in Store bought products!

On my journey I embraced the Bible like it was my course work. I saw the Bible pretty much for the first time on my walk...as I saw it in its totality, which I had not really seen before.

As items would break, I would not replace them. My dryer which was with us for many years broke several years ago...and I adapted. Most of the year I dried my clothing outside. In the winter, I strung rope across the wood stove room and accepted that it would take a bit for clothes to dry.

Cable/satellite/and landlines never were an option while on the farm. We have used the Internet for school, and then movies or what not. I do not miss them and I confess when I see a commercial I am shocked as they seem more invasive and crude than they ever were.

I have worked on my character and fail in many arenas while on this journey. Every so often though a break is granted and I can smile. We bought a new to us, but used vehicle-with over 92,000 miles on it, and I smiled. We bought a refrigerator that wasn't held together by baling wire and I smiled, and last night I smiled once again!

My patience was rewarded as last night, we bought a used dryer. Me...Jennifer of Double Nickel Farm...who saves everything, who scrimps away, and repurposes anything...finally has a dryer once again. I am brought to tears by how much I took for granted before Bill's accident, and am ever so thankful that our journey has been one we have been on together.

*no I have not been on an airplane since 1996. If I could though I would love to and go to Ireland someday. Why? Well as you may know if you have visited the blog before...I do NOT LIKE snakes. Trivia time~Ireland is snake free!! Now that is a place I could really visit!!!! ;)

page in a long while, but Bill has one. He pretty much is only friends with the kiddos, some of his siblings, and a few others. I like to see what the kids have posted on their walls and today I thought I would share some of their recent postings.

Fourth posted this.

She works mid day now so her sleep hours have changed.

This is what she said with it.

"You know you're Mexican when you get up too late to make lunch so

you grab cucumbers, limes, and chili powder lol"

For a bit of perspective...that is about 1/4 cup of NM chili powder.

One of my kids posted this and linked the others.

Even this year, I have come across the sticks that the kids

have used or arrows they have made or knives they whittled

from the mesquite. If they had been in public school ALL of them

would have been suspended.

Thank God we live in a nation where we were able to educate

them all at home.

Buffalo Wild Wings opened in town and these

goofs go all the time. Sometimes the six of them

go. I really do like that my adult kids actually like

each other and interact with each other often.

Second posted several of his training photos.

He has been on his fire department for nearly 18 months,

and on his volunteer fire department for almost 5 years.

I always am humbled when I realize he is not yet 22.

The newlyweds!

My lovely daughter-in-law went through

all of Third's old Facebook photos and liked each one.

Isn't she a sweetie?

Fourth~on the left facing us, with her friends as they Skype to

a friend that went to Oklahoma to college.

Yep...I am and have been hooked on these cutie pies from the moment I felt them kick in the womb. I am ever so thankful that I have been able to be their mom, and to watch them grow...

Monday, April 14, 2014

For most Americans, the answer would be no. I have been reading about Cricket and to be honest the names of things in the game are similar to baseball just enough that I am confused by the play. The games are two separate things entirely. Both have innings, a ball, an infield, an outfield as well as several other things in common. BUT they are truly different games. To learn Cricket after being such an avid baseball player seems daunting to me. In fact, as a young girl I actually played on a boys baseball team so I not only love the game, but I have actual real time experience in play.

I have never seen a game or match of Cricket played.

This random topic is what has been on my mind as I continue my studies in the Bible. You see, most Americans claim to have a Christian background and therefore either celebrate Easter for its religious meaning or its secular fun, or for both. I know that for many years I did as well. The holy days of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits are not well known in America, nor do many celebrate them unless they are Jewish. I must be clear that some that are not Jewish do celebrate these feasts but for the most part it is something that most Christians consider to be Jewish holidays.

I have never been to a Jewish Passover celebration.

Like Cricket and Baseball where there is enough similarities to conclude that they have a common foundation, the Jewish Feasts as well as Easter also ring so similar that after much study in the Bible I KNOW that they have a common foundation~the Bible.

Unlike baseball and cricket, which have nothing to do with our spiritual self, the holy days do.

An interesting thing about Easter is that it was not a holiday until at the earliest 130-150 A.D. By 325 A.D. and the First Council of Nicaea, the holy days of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection were changed to Easter with an official uniform observance of the day made into one day. At this point Easter was pretty much being celebrated on Sunday but this wasn't made official until later. It must be noted that Constantine was quoted as stating this

when he altered the day of worship as well as the changing of holy days to the known holidays that most of us celebrate in the West. Constantine was not a follower of Christ during the First Council of Nicaea and if documentation is correct it took approximately 12 more years for him to do so.

Passover has a very specific date it is to be held. In the first month on the 14th day...

In the fourteenthday of the firstmonth at even is the LORD'S passover. Leviticus 23:5

It is the LORD's passover. Oh and it should be kept for ever as a memorial.

And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a
feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast
by an ordinance for ever. Exodus 12: 14

For ever. And it is not only for the Jews but for all those that are of the house of Israel...

Matthew 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Who is Israel?All those that call upon the name of the Lord then are grafted in.

God established holy days to be kept for ever. When they are celebrated year after year they are prophetic as Colossians tells us.

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Col.2: 16-17

During the time of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection there were Jews that are like the Westboro Baptist Church. Most Christians DO NOT consider the Westboro Baptist Church Christian. This is the same as the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and King Herod. Jesus Christ repeatedly warned of them, in Matthew 16:6, Matthew 16:11, Matthew 16:12, Mark 8:15, Luke 12:1. BEWARE, TAKE HEED, DOCTRINE OF PHARISEES, LEAVEN OF PHARISEES, LEAVEN OF SADDUCEES, LEAVEN OF HEROD. I put in all caps the warnings as many seemed to ignore how serious these were. These groups created their own doctrine and were full of sin as leaven is equated to sin in the Bible. They challenged Christ about the Sabbath as they had added so many things that one could not do on the sabbath that it was overwhelming. Passover was a rehearsal or a prophetic yearly day that would prepare the people of when the Unblemished Lamb would take our sins away. Unleavenened Bread was a dress rehearsal for our sinless saviour that would be buried for three days and three nights. Firstfruits was a dress rehearsal for our Firstfruits of the world to rise again and be the first fruit of the resurrection. It is an eight day celebration that has a weekly sabbath as well as two high sabbaths that begin and end the Unleavened Bread Feast. No leavened bread is to be eaten this week. Jesus Christ literally was on the cross and died at the exact moment that the Jewish Rabbis were killing the passover lambs. Jesus Christ was put in the tomb the night of unleavened bread and three nights and three days later, just as He said he would do like Jonah...He then was resurrected on Firstfruits fulfilling the prophetic feast to the day that they were held. Jesus Christ celebrated passover. The passover feast was celebrated by the disciples and is in the New Testament 26 times. We are constantly reminded of WWJD...what would Jesus do? Well Jesus kept the feast and told us that they were to be celebrated as a shadow of his coming both the first time AND his second time.The first four feasts in Leviticus 23 have been fulfilled. Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits, by Christ death, burial, and resurrection and Pentecost 50 days later with the Holy Spirit...in the book of Acts. The final three feasts are Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles and like the first three, they will be fulfilled by our Saviour on the day that God ordained that we should be celebrating the feasts for ever. If you can think of verses that are prophetic about a trump, every knee shall bow, and then consider where we shall tabernacle (or live), then consider a study about the final three feasts in Leviticus 23 and you can see that they are truly rehearsals for His Second coming. Paul tells us in1 Corinthians 5:6-8 that our glorying is not good AND we should keep the feast of passover...

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are
unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

We should keep the feast for ever and as those that know that the Messiah has come, we should keep it by removing any sin we are holding on to in our lives, and celebrate without malice, without wickedness, and with sincerity and Truth. Who is Truth in the Bible?

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

God gave us an entire week off to celebrate His holy days*. He gave an additional 3 days of rest for each and every one of us...and yet, in the western world, we take but one day, celebrated on a day that was ordained by man, to celebrate.

Unlike Cricket and Baseball, keeping the feasts matters as it is and was and will be a shadow of Christ, and I for one would like to continue to study to show myself approved before God.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

It's not like I am super crazy* or anything. I do realize it is 2014 and practically the entire world has a microwave. In fact, when Bill and I were a young married couple, we put money aside each month to buy a microwave, and then did so. Over the years we have had to replace our microwave because of foil, a fork, two toddlers and something that they did, and also when we moved overseas. Our final microwave began sparking a few years ago and I kind of wondered if the two toddlers as two teens might have tried a Mythbuster experiment. Who knows!? Anyhow it died and we did not replace it. A while ago, I did buy a microwave for the two teens(when they were still teens) workplace as well as for Bill's workplace because it is hard to send lunches when your sweeties can't warm it up.

*Okay, maybe I am super crazy or something!

On to randomness. The war against the mice is waning yet shocking. For anyone that has read this blog for a while, you know that I am a tad freaked out by snakes. Extra rodents...would mean extra SNAKES. Did you hear my scream? Well you should have~ugh!

I forgot to take photos of everyone looking at Third's photo wall but here is a photo before everyone arrived. I really loved seeing each one of the kids taking time and talking about the photos. What seems like yesterday for Bill and I is a lifetime for our cuties and it was amazing to hear the stories that the photos triggered. After the meal we ended up taking the second table down and playing cards at the main table. I confess that my face hurts after how much I laughed!

The baby boom is happening at Bill's work. Three babies born in a period of 4 days!!

From the Double Nickel Farm welcome Kai, Sofia ,and Brooklyn!

It is holiday season and I am going to share some posts about the upcoming days. For now I am going to share two verses:

He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 1 John 2:6

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. 1 Peter 2:21

Christ is our example as well as our Saviour. Man is warned many times to avoid false prophets and the doctrines of men yet repeatedly many fall under the wiles of man. In this season, it is important to remember that even if something has been done for many years it may be mans tradition and not of God.

Monday, April 7, 2014

I loved our daily walks but as each day passed more and more Germans would approach me with questions about my condition.

I can look back and confidently say that I too was surprised by my
condition. I mean I understood it, but still, I would chuckle somewhat
and look in the mirror and tell myself I was crazy...

You see, twenty-one years ago TODAY, I gave birth once again! I surprised my neighbors because then, where we lived, two children was considered a good sized family and I was having my third less than a year after I had my second child!

Crazy!

Actually not so. I love being a mom. I am content now watching my wee ones move on in their lives and thankful that I have had the opportunity that I have had to be their mom. With that...time for the photos~sappy and corny as they are.

The village we lived in had cobblestone streets, horse drawn carriages, and its very own brewery!

I took this photo in July '93.

The village was a bit outside a castle and celebrated its 1200 year anniversary in 1993! I loved living in Germany for many reasons. Although we were military, we lived off base. I wanted that as I had heard that many American wives never had reason to leave base and I wanted to really experience this great opportunity granted to our family.

I studied German, watched German television, and spoke daily in my remedial German to my neighbors, the store clerks, and to my children. I shopped practically every day as that seemed to be the custom to ensure having fresh produce and bread. I had a lovely German basket that I carried atop the stroller as I walked to the market. Our next door neighbors lived in a three story house and four generations of the family lived there, and the baby of that family was born the day after we had our second son.

We lived near the train station so my boys were able to watch the trains every day with total excitement...but twenty-one years ago my life was about to change. Bill and I knew it would, but I must say that my little German town still was very shocked because of our change. Many of our neighbors were surprised at the way I looked as I would walk through town with the boys. I pushed the stroller and our oldest usually stood on the stroller near the handles. I loved our daily walks but as each day passed more and more Germans would approach me with questions about my condition.

I can look back and confidently say that I too was surprised by my condition. I mean I understood it, but still, I would chuckle somewhat and look in the mirror and tell myself I was crazy...

About Me

I have been married to my best friend for nearly 29 years and we live on a small farm in the middle of the desert.
We have four children (now adults) three daughters-in-law, two grandsons and look forward to many more added to the fold.